Offenders still on the run

MANY Toowoomba district victims are still living in fear after falling prey to violent offenders who have managed to evade arrest.

Criminals have committed a series of shocking offences in 2011 which remain unsolved.

These include attempted murder, sexual assault, armed robberies, bashings and home invasions.

The Chronicle has compiled a list of the region's top 10 unsolved crimes for 2011.

A notable trend when compared with the unsolved crimes of past years was animal cruelty offences.

The Toowoomba region recorded the most number of animal cruelty complaints made to the Queensland RSPCA over the last financial year.

Toowoomba Police Criminal Investigation Branch spokesman Detective Acting Senior Sergeant John Cunningham said police were seeking help from the public.

"All these matters are still under investigation," Det Sgt Snr Sgt Cunningham said.

"If any member of the community has information which may assist us in solving these offences, please don't hesitate in contacting Crime Stoppers (on 1800 333 000) or the Toowoomba Police Station (on 4631 6333).

"Any pieces of information, no matter how small, may lead to police solving these offences."

Attempted murder - January 17, 2011

A man was placed in an induced coma after sustaining critical injuries when an offender tried to kill him inside his East Toowoomba home.

The 58-year-old man was beaten in his Burns St home about 7pm and sustained life-threatening injuries to his head and body.

He was rushed to the Toowoomba Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.

Detectives are treating the matter as an attempted murder.

Jogger sexually assaulted - May 24, 2011

A woman, 42, was grabbed around the throat and sexually assaulted while jogging alone in Darling Heights.

The woman was running along West St, near the entrance to the University of Southern Queensland, when a man grabbed her from behind at 5.45am.

Police said the offender grabbed the victim around her throat, put his other arm between her legs and rubbed her genitals.

She was able to break free and ran to a nearby bakery for help.

The attacker was described as aged between 20 and 30, 175cm tall with a slim build.

He was wearing light blue jeans and a light grey hooded jumper at the time of the incident.

Armed robber shoots man - June 12, 2011

A shopper was shot during a botched attempted armed robbery of the Nobby General Store.

Police said the offender was armed with a sawn-off rifle when he entered the store with the intent to rob it, when customer Gino Gomez turned around to exit the shop.

The man grabbed Mr Gomez's car keys and shot him in the leg before fleeing in the victim's car at 3.45pm.

He was described as aged between 35 and 45, 180cm tall, with a tanned complexion and brown hair.

He was wearing a motorcycle helmet and balaclava at the time.

Kill threat to students - June 21, 2011

Hundreds of Fairholme College students spent hours huddled under their desks after a man threatened to take hostages and hurt them.

A man phoned the school office at midday and told staff he was coming to the school to take hostages, kill students and then himself.

The college was placed into lockdown and more than 10 police crews wearing bullet-proof vests were on scene within minutes.

Police took control of the school grounds and guarded entrances and exits.

The threat did not eventuate and no-one was injured.

Officers were attempting to trace the call after the incident.

Dogs starved to death - July 20, 2011

Police were confronted with a sad sight when they seized the bodies of three dogs which had been starved to death at a Harristown home.

Officers went to the Second Ave residence at 5pm after receiving a complaint of animal cruelty.

Two of the dead animals were puppies and a fourth dog was found alive on the property.

She was in a poor condition, suffering from starvation and was taken into the care of the RSPCA.

The dogs were unable to escape the yard because of a high-set fence and their only sources of water were items scattered around the yard which had caught recent rainfall.

The three dead dogs appeared to have died weeks prior.

Couple bashed during home invasion - August 26, 2011

A man, 70, was bashed with the butt of a pistol and his wife was forced to the ground during a home invasion at Torrington.

The pair was asleep at their Charlton Pinch Rd home when two men smashed a window to break into the residence about 4.45am.

The men viciously bashed the husband with a weapon before discovering the man's 71-year-old wife in a bedroom trying to use the phone to call for help.

She was threatened and forced to the ground.

The attackers again assaulted the injured husband and fled.

Police said the man sustained serious injuries including multiple cuts, bruises and a broken toe.

Dog's head severed - October 4, 2011

A six-year-old boy was traumatised after finding his pet dog's severed head in the front yard of his family's Ballard home.

The family woke to find their pet shih tzu cross Missy had been decapitated.

The dog's body was taken from the property and has not been found.

Armed robbery at pub - October 25, 2011

Two men wearing pillowcases on their heads and armed with a shotgun robbed the Condamine Hotel - stealing almost $4000.

Two female workers and a truck driver patron were inside the pub when the pair stormed in at 9.20pm.

One offender pointed the sawn-off firearm to the patron's head and ordered him to lie on the floor.

The patron and a staff member were locked in the coldroom while a waitress was forced to put money from two cash registers in a bag.

The offenders later evaded police at a roadblock.

Woman assaulted in home - December 2, 2011

A woman, 24, was assaulted when she disturbed an offender inside her Darling Heights home.

A man broke into the woman's West St unit about 3am.

The pair became involved in a struggle in which the victim was injured.

She called out for help which prompted the man to flee the scene.

It is not known what the man's intentions were.

Man bashed in CBD - December 17, 2011

A man, 32, sustained a brain injury when he was bashed in Toowoomba's CBD.

The assault happened on Margaret St, near the intersection of Ruthven St, just before 3am.

The victim was initially taken to the Toowoomba Hospital with serious head injuries before he was airlifted to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane.

The victim cannot remember any details of the attack and detectives are reviewing CCTV footage.